Secret Admiration
by DramioneIsRealDammit
Summary: Post-Hogwarts Dramione fanfic. SMUT- IN LATER CHAPTERS! I try to have a decent story line along with my smut, so don't worry, it's coming! Mature Audiences only. FINISHED! The ending was difficult and I feel like it was just cut short, but it's the best I could come up with and I don't think I left any loose ends. I hope you enjoy reading this story as much as I enjoyed writing it!
1. Chapter 1

"Happy Anniversary, Hermione!" Hannah Abbott stated as she passed by the office of the Head of Magical Law Enforcement: Special Creatures Department.

"Thank you, Hannah!" Hermione Granger replied from behind her desk, enjoying the praise she was getting for being in her position for the past year.

After finishing her 7th year at Hogwarts, Hermione applied for a position in the Magical Law Enforcement Department in the hopes of one day being able to do something about the mistreatment of magical creatures such as House Elves, Centaurs, and the like. She never imaged that after only 5 months on the job she would be promoted to Head of her Department, and today she would be celebrating a year since that promotion.

When Hermione took office, the laws regarding magical creatures became more relevant to the wizarding community. Before, the laws were not very well enforced and therefor were not taken seriously, but Hermione managed to put a stop to most of that. With her new position, she enacted and enforced laws that changed the ways of many wealthy wizarding families and, in turn, ensured the safety, comfort, and proper treatment of House Elves across the entire community.

Of course, there were some families stuck in their ways of abusing House Elves that Hermione had to deal with, but she only caught a few cases a month, making her job incredibly boring at times. Today was the end to a long, boring, uneventful week. Hermione had been helping the Minster of Magic, Kingsley Shacklebolt, with cases and paperwork all week just to pass the time.

She was finishing up the files Kingsley had sent her when a rapid tapping lifted her head from her work. She walked over to her window and found a beautiful brown owl with a letter attached to its leg. She opened the window and removed the letter, giving the owl one of the grapes she was munching on as a treat.

She sat back down at her desk and finished up the file she was working on, only to notice the owl hadn't left. Obviously, it was waiting for a reply, but it was strange to Hermione, as usual Ministry Officials will wait for a reply from her personal owl. She packed away the file and turned to the letter she had taken from the owl waiting patiently on her window sill.

Opening it gently, she read:

 _Miss Granger,_

 _I have a strange request regarding my House Elves. They are being mistreated. I need your help with extracting them from my home, but there is a catch. I would like to meet with you in person, please get back to me as soon as possible, and keep this between you and I._

 _My owl will wait for your reply._

Hermione immediately scribbled her reply onto a blank piece of parchment and attached it to the owl, who flew away after taking another grape. Hermione wasn't sure about the letter for a few reasons, but she was sure about protecting House Elves and she wasn't going to pass up the opportunity to remove them from a home they were not safe in.

She sat for a while, wondering who the letter was from and why the person who wrote it was so set on being private about the matter, but she decided that maybe it was best not to dwell on it and only wait to see how the situation played out.

In her reply, she informed the sender that she would be happy to help with their predicament and gave them her Ministry floo address for contact purposes and informed the sender that she would like to speak with them that way first thing Monday morning. She was nervous about giving her in-office floo address, but was certain the Ministry had security clearances on anyone who used the floo network, easing her anxiety.

The rest of her day passed quietly, with only a few visits from coworkers wishing her congratulations on her work anniversary. She enjoyed lunch with Harry and Ron, who worked only a few flights down in the Auror department. She loved catching up with her old friends and was eager to learn about Ginny's first pregnancy and Ron's new girlfriend over lunch.

Hermione and Ron tried dating for a while after the war ended, but came to a mutual agreement that they weren't exactly right for one another and stayed friends with a clean break-up. Hermione hadn't had a serious relationship since, but had gone on a few dates that turned out to be nothing. She was so absorbed in her work that she didn't make time for dating, and she had to admit she liked it that way.

After lunch, she returned to her flat and put a kettle on the stove for tea. When the kettle starting screaming, she almost didn't notice the brown owl pecking at her window. She noticed immediately that it was the same owl she had encountered at work earlier in the day, and went to the window after taking the kettle off the stove.

She removed the letter and unfolded it:

 _Miss Granger,_

 _I'm afraid I can't contact you that way. I need to get out of my home in order to speak with you about this manner. Please meet me at the Leaky Cauldron this Saturday at 7 p.m. Again, please keep this matter private for the time being._

Hermione was unsure what to do about this meeting, but noticed the owl was waiting patiently again for her reply. She thought for a moment, weighing her options and the risk versus benefit of meeting a potential stranger at a pub. Eventually, her kind-hearted nature and her love for House Elves won the weigh in, and she replied to the letter telling the sender she would meet with them in the pub the following evening at 7.

She tied the letter to the owl and watched it flutter away into the afternoon sky. She made herself a cup of tea and settled in front of her fireplace with a book, drowning all of her thoughts in the pages of her novel.

Before she knew it, it was 8:30 and she was exhausted. She ran herself a warm bath and settled under the bubbles as she finished her book. After toweling herself dry, she slipped under the silk sheets of her bed and fell into a peaceful sleep thinking about the mystery sender she would be meeting the following day.


	2. Chapter 2

Hermione woke to more tapping on her window, but this time it was from Harry's personal owl. He was inviting her to join him and Ginny for lunch to celebrate the newly discovered pregnancy, and she was more than happy to do so. She loved the fact that Harry and Ginny were married so young and were starting their family right off the bat. Though Ginny would have to put her Quidditch career on hold for a while, Hermione knew she would absolutely adore being a mother.

Hermione decided she would purchase a gift for Ginny before meeting at their home for lunch, which she went about doing in the morning hours of her day. She picked up a Muggle pregnancy novel and two newborn outfits; one in pink and one in blue. After her shopping was finished, she returned to her flat and packaged the gifts carefully before using her personal floo to get to Harry and Ginny's home across town.

When I arrived, I could immediately smell Ginny's amazing cooking coming from the kitchen. There's no doubt she picked up all her tricks from her mother when it came to cooking. I could only hope she would be just as good a parent as Molly Weasley is to her children.

"Hermione!" Harry came from the kitchen to great her before she could finish wiping the ashes off her skirt.

He wrapped her in a tight hug, "Hi, Harry! How's Ginny?"

"She's great. She's in the kitchen." Harry took the gift bags Hermione was holding and led her into the kitchen where Ginny was standing over a pot, watching the charmed spoon stir it for her.

She nearly jumped out of her skin when she saw Hermione, "Oh! Hermione," she ran to her and hugged her tight enough to stop her breath in her throat, "I've missed you so much!"

Catching her breath as Ginny released her, Hermione nodded, "I've missed you too, Ginny! Congratulations on the pregnancy, are you excited?"

Ginny looked over at Harry, "I'm thrilled, though I don't know if I can say the same about him."

Harry blushed, "I'm just nervous, is all."

Hermione put her hand on her best friend's shoulder, "You'll be a great dad, Harry."

Ginny nodded in agreement, "That's what I keep telling him!"

Hermione laughed, "Ginny, I brought you some things to get you started."

Ginny cocked an eyebrow as Hermione took the gift bags from Harry and set them on the table. She watched as Ginny opened the gifts and laughed at the Muggle book, then teared up and exclaimed how cute the two outfits where. Ginny hugged and thanked Hermione, then held up the pink and blue outfits and asked which gender Harry would prefer.

"I think I'd like to have a little boy. You know his Uncle George would love that." Harry winked at Hermione, placing his hand on Ginny's lower back.

Ginny laughed, "Oh, Merlin, I didn't think about that!"

The three of them finished with the cooking and were soon joined by Ron and his girlfriend, Rachel, for the meal. Lunch was pleasant, but a bit awkward, as Rachel took it upon herself to discuss her desire for children while Ron sat next to her uncomfortably. Hermione didn't think anything would stop Ronald Weasley from eating like a pig, but hearing his girlfriend of only a week talk about children sure did the trick. Hermione couldn't decide if she felt bad for him or if she was amused by the entire performance.

After lunch, the five of them cleaned up and moved to the sitting room where the boys talked work and the girls talked babies. Hermione was enjoying herself too much as Rachel went on and on about how she imagined her first pregnancy to be. Ginny seemed to be listening intently, but Hermione couldn't help notice the poor girl was a bit green.

When Ron asked Hermione about her work week, she wanted to tell her friends about the mystery letters she had been getting, but decided against it as the sender seemed adamant on keeping the situation private for the time being. She instead told them that she had mostly been doing office paperwork and, fortunately, hadn't had many cases this month. She was always happy when she didn't have to worry about magical creatures being mistreated and abused under her watchful eye.

Before she knew it, the afternoon had passed and it was verging on 7p.m. when she finally was able to leave Harry and Ginny's without seeming suspicious. She had hoped to arrive in Hogsmead a bit early to stake out The Leaky Cauldron and hopefully spot her mystery sender before going into the pub, but now she didn't have time to do so. Instead, she went inside and sat at the bar. Almost immediately, she was approached by a matron who escorted her to a table in the back corner of the pub, away from the general crowd.

"Here you are, Miss Granger. The remainder of your party will be with you shortly. He has requested this meeting to remain as private as possible, and would like me to inform you that you are in no danger."

Hermione was skeptical, but nodded, "Thank you."

"Can I get you anything, Miss Granger?"

"Just some water, please."

The matron nodded and headed towards the bar, then returned shortly with a glass of ice water for Hermione. She sat for a while, looking around the pub and wondering what she would do if she was met by someone who wanted to cause her harm.

When she was just about ready to get up and leave, she noticed a hooded figure walking towards her. She gripped her wand tightly with her right hand and squared her shoulders, sitting up straight and not letting her eyes leave the person walking towards her. The lighting in the corner she was in was very dim, so she didn't recognize the person walking towards her until he sat down in the seat across from her.

"Let go of your wand, Granger, I'm not going to hurt you." Draco Malfoy lowered his hood and looked Hermione right in the eye, his palms were open face on the table top, empty as if to show her he had no ill intentions.

She released her grip on her wand and returned her hands to the top of the table, "What are you doing here, Malfoy?"

He scoffed, "The same thing you're doing here. You got my letters, and you can help me."

Hermione thought for a moment, wondering if he was being truthful, before replying, "I can help you if you're serious, but I'm not going to waste my time with something silly. I have a very important job that needs my attention at all times."

His posture relaxed a bit when he spoke, "I understand. I really do need your help and I don't know who else to turn to. My mother has taken to abusing our house elves, and I don't think it's right. I want to free them, but I don't want her to know I did it. She killed one just last week, she didn't even bury him. She burned him in the fireplace."

Hermione cringed at the thought, "Why didn't you report this sooner?"

He took a deep breath, "I tried, but nobody would meet with me outside of their office. I can't have mother finding out I went behind her back about this, and if I show my face at the ministry, she would know I was there before I even made it back home."

Hermione nodded, "I'll help you, but under certain conditions, Malfoy."

Draco nodded, "Of course."

"We do this my way, on my time, and if you have a problem with that you can figure something else out. I need to know how many House Elves you have, how your mother abuses them, and how many of them have died in her care. She will also be prosecuted; do you understand? I will charge her with crimes against magical creatures and she will go to Azkaban if she's found guilty. Do you have a problem with that?"

Draco shook his head slowly, "I understand, but, Hermione, I want you to know that she's sick. She's… not right. Ever since my father went away, she's been different. My mother was never like this before the war. Is there something you can do about that?"

Hermione looked at Draco and noticed his soft, grey eyes. They weren't piercing and mean like they usually were; they were pleading, sad, and desperate.

She softened, "Take her to a mediwitch and have her examined. If she's diagnosed with something psychological, something that makes her violent, then she might be able to get a lesser sentence. However, that's not my job. You need to make sure you have a good lawyer on her side if it ends up going down that path. For now, just let me look more into your accusations and build a case. I'll keep in touch with you as much as I can by owl."

Draco nodded, "I'll have to send you mine, please don't send a ministry owl. I can't afford to have mother growing suspicious about any of the things we are doing. I'll send Athena to you tonight, you can keep her with you until this ordeal is finished."

Hermione nodded and stood, "Alright. I'll start building a case file tonight. Please send Athena with a list of current and former House Elves, method of abuse, and cause of death."

Draco pulled his hood up and nodded, "Thank you, Granger. I would walk you out, but…"

Hermione smiled, "Don't worry about it, Malfoy. I'll speak with you soon. Thank you for informing me about this."

Draco shifted in his seat as Hermione walked by, "You look good, Granger."

Hermione was already out of the pub by the time she realized what Malfoy had said to her as she was leaving. She wanted to turn around and ask him what he meant by that, but she was sure he was already gone. She stood in the street for a moment, puzzled at what she had just realized. She wasn't sure if it was a serious compliment or meant to be a joke, but before she could over-analyze it, her thoughts were interrupted by laughter coming from inside the pub.

She decided she better get home before the Saturday night drunkards got worse, so she apparated to the front door of her flat and let herself in, still dazed and confused by her earlier conversation with Draco Malfoy.

Instead of driving herself crazy over Malfoy's parting words, she decided to get started on a case file for his House Elves. She pulled out her law books, old cases, and anything else she could find on the matter before setting herself up at her desk and building a case against Narcissa Malfoy.

After about an hour, she heard Athena's tapping on her window. She opened it and let the bird in, giving her treats as she unfolded the parchment tied to her leg. Hermione was shocked to see a Gringott's bank note made out for 200 galleons fall onto her desk. She picked it up, noting that it was signed by Draco Malfoy, and sighed heavily as she read the letter attached to it:

 _Granger,_

 _You're doing me a favor. Don't try to be noble, just take the money. Athena likes apples and carrots. She bites when she gets hungry._

 _The Manor currently has 13 House Elves. Their names, length of captivity, and conditions are listed on a separate sheet of parchment._

 _As far as I know, 6 House Elves have died in my parents' care, 2 of which were due solely to my mother's abuse in the past year and a half._

 _I am calling our family mediwitch tomorrow for a psychological examination. I will keep you updated. Please do everything you can._

 _Dobby._

She folded the letter and put it and the bank note in her desk, then moved onto the next piece of parchment listing all the House Elves of the Malfoy Manor and the information she would need to finish building her case against Narcissa.

She worked diligently on her case, not paying attention to the time as it passed. When she felt her eyelids begin to droop, she glanced over at her clock and noticed it was nearly 2 in the morning. She quickly finished what she was doing and put her files in her desk.

She looked up at the owl perched elegantly on a chair across her in-home office and wondered briefly what she was going to do with her.

"Oh!" She exclaimed loudly, startling the bird, "I'm sorry Athena, I just remembered that I have a cage for my ministry bird that I keep at home. It's quite cozy."

Athena hooted at her and watched her move to the closet of her office as she pulled out the brass cage and set it on a table by the wall. The bird perked up as Hermione opened the cage door and gestured for Athena to enter the cage. The bird did as instructed, sitting herself inside the cage delicately. Hermione smiled and latched the door, then made her way to the kitchen to cut up an apple for her new house guest.

She returned and placed the apple slices at the bottom of the cage, then ran herself a bath and relaxed in the water before making her way to bed. She was still flustered over what Malfoy meant when he complimented her earlier, but she racked every inch of her brain and could not come up with a reasonable explanation other than the simplest one- it was just a compliment.

A compliment from Draco Malfoy? Ha! Hermione smiled to herself about that. Why would he compliment her? Of course, after the war, Draco and Narcissa were acquitted of all crimes accused against them, and Draco made a point to help with the clean-up of Hogwarts. He also made huge donations to families suffering from the consequences of the war and helped to catch the remaining death eaters that were on the run after Voldemort's death. He did his part to make sure his name was not only cleared, but no longer hated and associated with the death eaters, but he was still Draco Malfoy. His father was still Lucius Malfoy, living out the remainder of his life in Azkaban for his crimes against Muggles and Muggle-born wizards and witches.

Hermione couldn't help but wonder how much Draco Malfoy had actually changed. She couldn't help but remind herself that he was trying to free his House Elves on the pretense that they were being abused, something he never really seemed to care about before, and he did seem a bit softer when she had seen him earlier in the evening.

As she drifted off into sleep, Hermione made herself a promise that she would get to know the new Draco Malfoy. She promised she would give him a fair chance to prove himself beyond what she had thought of him in school. After all, they were adults now, and the war changed people in ways she had never thought possible. Was it that far-fetched to think that Draco Malfoy might be a different person all together? She didn't think so, and she made it her mission to find out by the end of the job he was asking her to do.


	3. Chapter 3

Sunday came and went without anything spectacular happening. Hermione worked on her case for Narcissa Malfoy and had tea with Hannah Abbot and Neville Longbottom in the afternoon, the dinner with Luna Lovegood in the evening. She was keeping silent about her out-of-office job, even though she felt she could use some of Hannah and Luna's input with certain aspects of the case.

After dinner, Hermione decided she would visit the bookstore in Hogsmeade and browse through the legal texts they had to make sure she wasn't missing anything that could potentially help her with the Malfoy case.

After a while of searching through the bookstore, she settled on getting a newer copy of her favorite law book and headed up to the counter. When she approached, the clerk suddenly disappeared to the back room and reappeared with a box in his hands.

"Hermione Granger?" The clerk asked.

Hermione stepped closer to the counter, "Yes."

Though she was taken aback, it wasn't all that strange for people to know who she was after the war. She was best friends with Harry Potter, the one who killed Lord Voldemort, though she would never really get used to the recognition by complete strangers.

"This package was left for you by someone who wishes to remain anonymous," The clerk handed her the box and rang up her book, waving his hand as she attempted to pay for it, "It's been taken care of, Miss Granger."

Hermione took the book and nodded, "Thank you."

She exited the book store and made her way to The Three Broomsticks to open the box left in the bookstore for her. She could only think of one person who would do something like this- Malfoy.

Her suspicions were confirmed when she opened the box and unfolded the parchment sitting atop a small paperback book.

 _Granger,_

 _I think there is more to my mother's condition than psychological trauma. Please read this text and get back to me._

 _Dobby_

She put the parchment in her purse and turned her attention back to the book in front of her: Misguided Curses and Their Effects. She read the back of the book, noting that it was a text about badly cast curses and the effects they have on the human mind and body. Was Malfoy thinking his mother was hit with a bad curse during the war?

Hermione opened the book and immediately noticed a dog-eared page a few chapters back. She hated the thought of mistreating books in such a manner, but she ignored it and flipped back to the page that was marked. There, she read about the Imperius curse and how it can be twisted to be a long-term curse on the mind, causing the recipient to do things they normally wouldn't dare.

She read on about the curse and its many variants, stopping when she read a particularly nasty bit about how the witch or wizard who cast the curse can have control of the recipient's mind from an 'unspecified' distance. This meant the wizard who cast the curse could perpetually control the recipient of the curse from wherever, whenever they pleased, until the curse was discovered, and there were no definitive ways to tell whether or not a person was under this botched version of the unforgivable Imperius curse unless they had an extremely talented curse-breaker examine them.

Hermione felt a chill run down her spine as she read over this passage again and again, wondering if this is what Draco wanted her to see. She was heartbroken at the possibility of anyone having to deal with this curse. She had experienced the Imperius curse herself, and she knew that your brain was fully aware that your body was not listening to itself. She couldn't imagine being under this type of curse and knowing that what she was doing wasn't right, but being unable to stop herself or voice her concerns.

She shut the book quickly when she noticed tears gathering behind her eyes. She kept her head low as she blinked the tears away, not wanting to attract any negative attention from the crowd surrounding her. When she felt comfortable, she placed a few galleons on the table and made her way out of the building.

She walked down the street a few steps before she felt the hair on the back of her neck stand up. She didn't have to turn to know someone was behind her, so she slipped into the darkness between two buildings and drew her wand.

She counted to three before asking, "Who's there? Show yourself."

She heard a low, muffled whisper, "For God's sake Granger, put your wand away."

She took a deep breath and pocketed her wand, "Malfoy, are you trying to get yourself killed?" She asked in a fierce whisper.

He walked towards her, getting close enough to her that she could smell his cologne, "I need you to come with me."

She shook her head, "Are you crazy? I'm not going anywhere with you."

She took her arm gently, "It's important, for both of us. Please, I need your help."

He was close enough now she could see his eyes, they were dark grey and cloudy like he had been crying. They were puffy and red, and his facial features were soft and defeated. She softened under his touch, glancing quickly around them before nodding her head in agreement to follow him.

He cast a disillusionment charm on her, then took her wrist in his hand and pulled her to walk with him. He was moving quickly, his head down under his hood and his eyes fixed on the ground in front of him. Hermione wasn't sure where they were going, but she didn't want to ask for fear of angering him. He didn't want to be detected, if there was one thing she knew for sure, it was that.

She fixed her eyes on Malfoy's feet and followed him for what seemed like half an hour. When he finally stopped, she looked up and noticed they were at the front gate of Hogwarts. She had so many questions, but Draco's grip on her wrist only tightened and she kept her mouth shut as he crept them both through the gates and into the front doors.

Thankfully, it was after curfew and the halls were mostly empty. The few prefects and teachers that were out were easy enough to dodge, and before long Draco and Hermione were standing in front of Headmistress McGonagall's office.

Draco muttered the password and removed the disillusionment charm on Hermione, gesturing for her to go up the stairs before him. She did, and waited patiently at the door for him to knock. They were greeted by McGonagall who seemed to be expecting both of them, and ushered to sit in the two arm chairs opposite of hers at her desk.

"I'm very pleased to see the two of you here. How have you been, Miss Granger?" McGonagall was smiling at Hermione.

"Very well, Headmistress, thank you." Hermione couldn't help but notice Dumbledore's portrait smiling down at her.

"Oh, Hermione dear, call me Minerva," Hermione nodded as the elderly woman turned her attention to Draco, "I found the book you requested, but I must ask you, Mr. Malfoy, what purpose is this going to serve for you? Surely you are not going to be attempting to do something of this caliber yourself?"

Draco shook his head, "Of course not, that's why I brought Gr- Hermione with me. I believe if anyone can figure it out, it's the two of us."

McGonagall's face fell a bit and she shook her head slightly, "Very well, Mr. Malfoy. Please, do be careful, and let me know if you have any questions. It was good seeing the two of you again."

Draco nodded and thanked the Headmistress as he took a book from her. Hermione stood and said goodbye to her former Professor, then followed Draco out of the office and down the stairs before she began asking questions.

"What is that? What's it for?"

Draco sighed, "I thought maybe I was going to get out of the interrogation today, Granger."

Hermione ran in front of him and stopped him in his tracks, "You just dragged me all the way to Hogwarts to get a book I assume is from the restricted section for some mission you've told everyone but me about? You must be joking. What do you want from me?"

Draco looked Hermione up and down before speaking again, "Let me explain this to you somewhere that isn't here, okay?"

Hermione crossed her arms, "Fine, but don't assume I'm going to do whatever it is you're wanting me to do."

Draco rolled his eyes and stepped past her, continuing his walk out of the school and towards the Womping Willow. Hermione stopped a few meters from the tree, eying it cautiously as Draco moved closer to it. The branches began to swing and Draco dodged them gracefully. He poked a knot in the tree and the branches stilled, going back to their original stance and allowing Draco to walk around the tree without fear of being thrown back by its moving branches.

He went into the passageway that led to The Shrieking Shack, gesturing for Hermione to follow him. She hesitated for a moment, then drew her wand and quickly made her way down the tunnel behind Draco. He stopped unexpectedly and she ran full force into the back of him, knocking them both over on top of one another.

"Merlin, Granger, watch where you're going." Malfoy spat at her as he stood and brushed himself off.

Hermione was shaking, but she wasn't sure why. She wasn't afraid of the shack anymore, knowing now what it was used for, and she wasn't necessarily afraid of Draco, although she was unsure of what exactly it was that she was doing.

"S-sorry," she whispered, looking around for her dropped wand while still sitting on the dusty ground of the tunnel.

Draco walked up to her and extended his hand, "I'm not going to hurt you, Granger. Relax"

Hermione took his hand and let him pull her to her feet. They found her wand and she pocketed it, trying to show Draco that she wasn't afraid. She couldn't stop her body from trembling as they walked farther into the tunnel, and she was nearly convulsing by the time they were inside the shack.

Draco stood in front of her, "What is wrong with you, Granger?" He removed his cloak and wrapped it around Hermione, securing it tightly in front of her.

Hermione noticed the strange look in Draco's eyes, it was almost as if he cared about her wellbeing.

She brushed it off and looked away, shaking her head, "I don't know. This is just strange. What are we doing here? Can you please tell me what's going on?"

Draco nodded and led her to a couch he transfigured.

He sat down next to her and removed the book from the cloak Hermione was wearing, "I had McGonagall get this for me from the library. It's a book on how to break curses," he looked at Hermione, noticing she was pale and still trembling with fear, "I know you read the book I left for you. I think my father cursed my mother before he left. I think he's doing this to her and I have to break the curse."

Hermione just stared at the book, trying to take in all of the information she was just told. Narcissa was cursed? By her own husband? And, Draco Malfoy, of all people, wanted Hermione Granger's help with breaking the curse? Hermione's brain flipped seven different ways in the span of just a few minutes. She was still staring at the book thinking when Draco's hand gently brushed hers.

"I can't do this alone. I need the brightest witch of our age to help me. You don't have to do this, Hermione, but I would really appreciate it," Draco swallowed thickly and Hermione looked in his eyes, noticing the tears building, "My mother is the only thing I have left and I can't let her live this way. I have to help her."

One silent tear rolled down his cheek and Hermione reached out to brush it away. His face was soft and warm, there was coarse stubble on his jaw and his cheek bones were prominent, making his features sharp and angled.

She nodded, "I'll help you, but you have to promise me something."

Draco halfway smiled, "Of course, anything."

Hermione kept her eyes locked on his, "Everybody lives, and the House Elves are freed. If we can't do this safely, you let me find someone who can. The Ministry has a lot of curse-breaking healers that can help with this."

Draco nodded, "Okay, but we try this first. I don't want anyone to know about this unless it's the last possible resort."

Hermione nodded and Draco pulled her into an unsuspected hug, "Thank you, Hermione."

She hugged him back and noticed the tension in his body. She wanted to hold him and tell him it would be okay, that he didn't need to worry, but she was afraid of upsetting him. Too soon, he let go of her and their eyes met again.

Draco held the book out to her, "I want you to read this first. I think you will interpret it better than me. Whenever you're finished, you can send it to me with Athena. How is she doing?"

Hermione smiled, "She's a great owl. She's doing fine. I feed her apples every day. She hasn't bitten me yet."

Draco chuckled, making Hermione laugh, "Good. I'm glad you like her."

Hermione smiled at Draco and took the book he was holding out to her, "I'll read this when I can. Work is pretty slow right now so it shouldn't take me long. I really should get home."

Draco nodded and stood, "Right. It's late, why don't you let me take you home?"

Hermione nodded, "I would appreciate that," she smiled at him and stood next to him.

She walked in front of him and led him out of The Shrieking Shack and into the street of Hogsmeade. He took her arm and she apparated them both to the street in front of her flat. He walked her to her door and then disappeared with a loud 'pop' after thanking her again.

Hermione was confused, wooed, and flattered at the way Draco had treated her. She wasn't sure what to think about the night she had just experienced, and she was even more confused by the fact that Draco had left his cloak with her. She decided she was too tired to worry about it then, so she took a quick shower and went to bed, only stopping to pet Athena on her way to her bedroom.


	4. Chapter 4

She woke up Monday morning with a smile on her face. She couldn't help but wonder what would come of her and Draco Malfoy after all of this was said and done. She dressed for work and had her morning tea while pondering over The Daily Prophet.

She read an article about Harry and Ron capturing two wizards who were committing crimes against Muggles by using their magic to rob Muggle shops of their money. She shook her head and chuckled, thinking to herself, 'why would you risk your magical life for Muggle money?'

When she arrived at work, she noticed that she had more paperwork from Kingsley sitting on her desk. She was happy about not having any cases to deal with involving Magical Creatures, and was more than willing to help Kingsley with paperwork.

She worked diligently for a while, and spoke with Hannah during her lunch break. She learned that Hannah was going out with Neville for the sixth time on Wednesday, and she was sure he was going to make their relationship official this time. She also heard gossip about Luna Lovegood being involved with Rolf Scamander and silently applauded her old friend.

She returned to her office after lunch and closed the door. She had heard enough gossip for the day, and she was finished with Kingsley's paperwork, so she was planning to read the book Draco had given her. She pulled it out of her charmed bag and opened it to the front page. It was, essentially, an instruction book on how to break curses for dummies. She laughed at the epilogue, but continued to read, knowing she would need this information to help Draco later on.

She took out a piece of parchment and began taking notes, writing down the important parts and making sure she didn't miss any of the essential steps. She was only a few chapters into the book when the fireplace in her office exploded with green flames.

She jumped up and covered the book with a folder, then ran to the fireplace. She opened the grate that was covering the entrance to her floo and Draco Malfoy fell onto the floor in front of her. He was bleeding and obviously hurt. She suspected he got splinched, so she ran to her office cabinet and grabbed her Dittany.

When she returned, Draco was sitting on her office floor with a pained expression on his face.

"Draco, what the hell happened?" She asked, a bit loud.

He gritted his teeth, "Lock and silence this room."

Hermione did as he requested, putting numerous locking and silencing charms on her office after placing a "Do Not Disturb" sign on the door.

She went back over to Draco and handed him the Dittany, "Did you get splinched?"

He shook his head, "No," his eyes met hers, they were dark and cloudy, showing an expression of pain and abandonment Hermione hadn't seen since their 6th year at Hogwarts, "Someone saw us together yesterday. My mother found out," Draco flinched, "She wasn't too happy."

Hermione felt tears build behind her eyes, "Oh my God, Draco, I'm so sorry." She took the Dittany from him and began slowly removing his shirt, dropping the potion on the bloody marks that were covering his body.

Draco winced with pain every once in a while, but stayed mostly silent while Hermione healed him. When she was finished, he was shirtless and exhausted on the floor of her office. Hermione looked over the broken man on her floor, noticing his toned muscles and pale skin. He was definitely attractive, and his body was amazing. The body of a seeker, even 3 years later. Hermione couldn't stop herself from admiring the way his chest rose and fell with every breath he took.

Finally, Draco broke the silence, "Thank you."

Hermione looked away from his chest and into his eyes, "It's my fault. I'm sorry."

Draco shook his head, "It's not your fault. I should've been more careful. I knew this kind of thing would happen eventually. Don't blame yourself."

Hermione nodded slowly, "Where are you going to go? You can't go back to the Manor."

Draco shrugged, "I hadn't thought about that yet."

Hermione thought for a moment, pondering whether or not she should open her mouth.

When she did, it was too late, "Why don't you stay with me? We have to work on this thing together anyway, and it would be easier if we didn't have to do it through letters."

Draco looked at her for a moment that felt like an hour, "Are you sure you want me in your house, Granger?"

The smirk on his face made Hermione smile, "I think I can handle you for a while."

Draco smiled and nodded, "Why are you doing this, Granger?"

Hermione sighed, "I just think the war changed everyone, including you. I don't think any of us are the same people we were in school. I don't see why we couldn't be friends, and you've treated me well the last few times I've seen you. I think you're a different Draco Malfoy, one that I wouldn't mind having at my house."

Draco laughed, causing Hermione's gaze to travel back to his tightening chest muscles, "I guess you're right, Granger. I have to warn you, though, I'm still extremely obnoxious."

Hermione laughed so hard she could feel the blush on her face, "I would never have guessed."

Draco and Hermione laughed together for a while, then Draco stood and pulled Hermione up with him. He put his shirt back on and repaired it, then sat on the couch in Hermione's office and patted the seat next to him. Hermione joined him, and they discussed what she had read in the book so far.

After a while, Hermione decided it would be best to get home, so she took Kingsley's files back to him and requested the next two days off. When she was granted the time away, she packed up her things, locked her office and closed off her floo, then took Draco's arm and apparated them to her flat.

They went inside, and Hermione showed him around. She told him she didn't have a spare bed, but could transfigure one out of the couch in her home office for him. He nodded and thanked her, telling her it was unnecessary to go to any lengths for him.

He disappeared into the office for a while to play with Athena, and Hermione found him with the bird perched on his shoulder, looking over him as he was reading one of Hermione's favorite Muggle books.

"Are you enjoying that novel?" She asked, startling him enough to make him jump.

"Gods, Granger, you scared me. It's quite good, actually. For a Muggle book." Draco smirked at her and Athena hooted.

Hermione chuckled, "I never thought I would see Draco Malfoy enjoying a Muggle novel."

Draco scoffed, "Don't go telling everyone now, Granger." He smiled and slid a small piece of parchment into the book.

Hermione smiled, "Don't worry, I just came to tell you dinner is ready."

Draco stood and took Athena to her cage, "You cooked for me, Granger? I'm honored!"

He laughed and Hermione smirked at him, "You were spot on about still being incredibly obnoxious."

He chuckled as he closed Athena's cage, then followed Hermione to the kitchen. They ate and talked more about Narcissa, brainstorming ideas and possibilities of how it happened and how they were going to get close enough to her to break the curse.

After dinner, Draco offered to clean up and Hermione let him as she cut up and apple for Athena. She took the fruit to the bird and returned to the living room with the book from Hogwarts in hand. Draco followed soon after, setting a fire in her fireplace and taking a seat next to her on her couch.

Hermione turned herself enough so that Draco could read along with her in the book. They stayed silent for a while, only talking to confirm they had finished the page before Hermione turned it. Before long, they were cuddle with one another on Hermione's couch, reading the curse-breaking text together.

Hermione noticed her eyelids drooping, but she was interested in the book she was reading and didn't want to stop. Before she knew it, she was asleep in Draco's arms, and it was peaceful. Draco gently took the book out of Hermione's hand and covered the both of the with the throw blanket that was on the back of the couch the were sitting on.

Draco fell asleep quickly, holding Hermione, and for once, he didn't dream. Usually he woke in the night with terrible tremors, screaming and covered in cold sweat. Tonight, he slept peacefully for the first time in 4 years. He was comfortable and happy with Hermione's worm body against his.

After a few hours, Hermione stirred and moved to a lying position next to Draco. He moved to accommodate her and they ended up lying together with Hermione's back to Draco's chest. Their legs were intertwined under the thin blanket and Draco's arm was wrapped protectively around Hermione's stomach.

Hermione slept peacefully through the night and most of the morning, waking just past 10. She opened her eyes slowly, noting the warm body against hers and the arm slung around her waist. She thought for a second, then remembered that she must've fallen asleep on the couch reading. She turned her head enough to look behind her. She saw a sleeping Draco, his face was relaxed and peaceful. He looked almost happy, like he had no worries. His features were relaxed and his hair was messy, falling down in front of his eyes.

Hermione couldn't help but think that he was the most gorgeous man she had ever seen in that single moment. Just as she finished that thought, Draco's eyes fluttered open and met hers. The corners of his mouth twitched and he smiled just enough to make Hermione melt.

"Good morning," he said sleepily.

Hermione smiled, "Morning," she ran her hand along the arm that was around her torso, "I'm sorry I fell asleep on you."

Draco chuckled, "Don't be. That was the best night's sleep I've had in years."

Hermione blushed, "Well, good."

Draco tightened his grip on her for a moment, "Aren't you late for work?"

Hermione shook her head, "I took two days off. I figured I would need them to help get you settled."

Draco smiled at her, "Well, that was kind of you."

Hermione laughed and stood up, "Are you hungry?'

Draco sat and ran his hands through his messy hair, "A little, yeah."

Hermione smiled and made her way to the kitchen. She made tea with eggs and toast while Draco showered. She nearly died when Draco waltzed into her kitchen wearing her pink bath robe. She was laughing so hard she couldn't breathe, and Draco was going about making his tea as if he wasn't sure what she was laughing about.

"Something funny, Granger?" He asked, trying to hide his smile.

She laughed harder but finally caught her breath, "You look delightful." She choked out, still laughing so hard her stomach was hurting.

Draco couldn't hold it anymore and joined in with her laughter, "You know, I didn't realize until halfway through my shower that I don't have any clothes."

Hermione finally controlled her roaring laughter enough to sit down for breakfast, "After breakfast we'll go shopping. I wouldn't want you walking around in my pink robes any longer than absolutely necessary."

Draco smiled and gestured to the robe, "I think it matches my eyes."

Hermione giggled again, almost choking on her tea. Draco watched her with a smirk on his face before they both busted out into maniacal laughter. They regained control and finished their breakfast, then Hermione showered while Draco cleaned up and dressed so they could go shopping.

They made their way to a Muggle village, assuming that would be the safest place to shop without having to worry about being seen together. A few hours and stores later, Draco and Hermione were both exhausted and sated with their shopping. Draco purchased himself a decent amount of clothing and Hermione joined in, buying outfits and accessories she liked as they passed in and out of the shops in the strip.

They had a quiet lunch in an Italian restaurant, then made their way back to Hermione's flat. When they arrived, they sorted out their purchases and Hermione cleared a filing cabinet for Draco. She then transfigured it into a dresser and helped him put away his new clothing.

They spent the rest of the day curled up on the couch, reading the text from Hogwarts together quietly. Hermione was taking notes while Draco was reading silently. He had a pained look on his face at times, mostly when the book warned of the dangers of breaking curses. He was worried for his mother; Hermione could see that from a mile away. She wanted to console him, but she wasn't sure how, so she just stayed quiet and offered her support silently.

They went to bed in their separate rooms, the couch in the office transfigured into a bed for Draco. Hermione tossed and turned for a while until she decided she wasn't going to get a good night's sleep. She could hear Draco doing the same in the other room, and thought maybe he was having a nightmare. She slipped quietly into her home office and cuddled up next to him, wrapping her arms around him tightly. She noticed that he immediately relaxed and his muscles loosened under her touch. His skin was saturated with cold sweat and he was trembling, but when she held onto him all of it stopped. She rested her head in between his shoulder blades and fell asleep instantly.


	5. Chapter 5

Draco woke in a strange room; he took a moment to register that it was Hermione's home office. He stayed still for a moment, remembering the night he had. He remembered dreaming, but he wasn't sure about what. The dream had started, then abruptly ended and he wasn't sure why. He was positive he was going to have another bad night, but then it all stopped and the rest of his sleep was dreamless and peaceful.

He realized why he had another peaceful night sleep when the body next to him shifted. He looked over, shocked for a brief moment to see Hermione in bed next to him. She had her back turned to him, but she was there. She was sleeping soundly, her chest rising and falling with every breath she took.

Draco admired her features as he watched her sleep. He never took the time to really look at her before. He noticed her slim face, long eyelashes, small nose, and puckered lips. Her curly brown hair fell across her pillow and framed her profile perfectly. His eyes wondered down to her thin neck and exposed collar bones. Her breasts moved slowly with her chest as she breathed, and Draco wondered why he had never admired her before. Her frame was perfect and she was beautiful. She was a petite woman with perfect proportions and a heart of gold.

Draco smiled as she stirred again and her eyes fluttered open, revealing her mocha colored eyes that were glazed over with sleep. She smiled up at him and turned to face him.

He brushed a stray hair out of her face, "Couldn't stay away, huh?"

She giggled, "Shut up. I couldn't sleep and you were dreaming or something."

His smile fell slightly, "Yeah," he ran his palm over her bare arm, "you stopped my nightmare before it got too bad. Thanks for that."

Hermione smiled up at him, "You're welcome," her smile turned into a smirk that made Draco proud, "I guess we'll just have to suffer with sleeping together while you're here."

Draco smiled nervously, feeling a blush take over his cheeks, "I guess so. I wouldn't really be suffering, though."

It was Hermione's turn to blush, and she did, but before she could say anything else, Draco's lips were on hers. She melted underneath him and parted her lips to welcome his kiss. He accepted her invitation and slid his tongue in between her lips, gently teasing her. She felt a pulsing sensation run through her core and she knew right away that she was turned on. She hadn't felt like this in a long time, and she was afraid she would lose control.

She knew she should pull away, but instead she tangled her fingers in Draco's hair and pulled him on top of her, rolling underneath him without letting their lips part. Draco kissed her feverishly before breaking away from her lips and moving to place small kisses on her cheeks, jaw, and neck.

Hermione's breath caught in her throat as he made his way down her body. She wasn't a virgin, but she had never felt this way under a man before. She was anxious but ready, and she didn't want Draco to stop. When he did, she whimpered, and he chuckled as his lips found hers again.

"We don't have to do this," he whispered in between kisses.

She pulled his mouth back to hers and ran her fingernails down and back up his bare back, making him moan and twitch on top of her. She could feel his erection on her thigh, and it was making her wet for him. She arched her back and pushed her core into his erection, making his body stiffen and his kiss deepen.

"I want you," she breathed, and it was all she needed to say.

In a flash, clothes were discarded and they were rolling around naked and tangled with one another. Draco was on top of her again, this time kissing her gently as his hands explored her now naked body. She relaxed and let his hands roam, enjoying the bliss that was taking over every inch of her.

She flinched slightly when his hands reached her hot center, only relaxing when he gently rubbed over her clitoris and kissed her lower stomach. She let out a hitched breath when he slid a slender finger inside her, making her vision blur and her toes curl.

It had been a good six months since Hermione had engaged in any kind of sexual contact, and this was amazing. It's not like she hadn't been fingered before, but something about the person who was doing it- the forbidden fruit- was making it so much better than anything she had ever experienced.

After a few pulses, Draco slipped in another finger and brought his lips to Hermione's pulsing clitoris, licking and kissing gently, bringing her mind back to the pleasure taking place between her thighs. She was gently rocking towards him, encouraging him to keep his rhythm as she found her release. Draco did as she desired, and she exploded with the best orgasm she had ever had within seconds.

Draco rose above her as she rode out the last few seconds of her orgasm, kissing his way up her body and finally stopping at her mouth. She kissed him passionately, begging him silently for more. He got the message, and slid his pulsing length into her wet folds, causing Hermione to twitch with pain momentarily before she relaxed and enjoyed the feeling of Draco filling her.

Draco moved slowly, basking in the feeling of Hermione tightening around him. He kissed her cheek, jaw, and neck before speeding up his pace and turning his kisses to soft bites. Hermione was wriggling underneath him, which only turned him on more. His pace quickened again, causing both of them to rock hard against each other as they moaned in unison.

Draco could feel himself losing control, so he slowed and smiled as Hermione whimpered and begged him not to stop.

"It's been a while… I can't hold it much longer." He kissed her, hard, still slowly sliding in and out of her.

She dug her nails into his back, "I don't care."

Draco kissed her again and sped up his pace, pumping hard until they were both trembling with their orgasms. Hermione cried out loudly as she came and Draco buried his head into her neck while telling her how good it felt.

They stayed locked together for a moment to catch their breath, then Draco rose and pushed the hair out of Hermione's face. She smiled at him and blushed vividly, which made him chuckle.

"That was amazing, Hermione." He said with a smile, cradling her soft cheek in his palm.

She smiled, "I agree," she lifted and kissed him softly.

He rolled over and pulled her into his chest, rubbing small circles on her back as they relaxed with one another. Draco soon fell asleep again and Hermione gently moved out of his grip and out of the bed. She showered and dressed for the day with a wide smile on her face, not letting herself forget the amazing experience she had with Draco.

She made tea and grabbed an apple, cutting a quarter of it for Athena and eating the rest herself. She sat down in her living room with the files she had on Narcissa and began looking over her notes. She changed things here and there, noting that if Narcissa was struck with a bad curse, she wouldn't be held responsible for the things that held her case together.

She put away her files after a while and turned back to the book McGonagall had given Draco. She didn't want to read it without him, but she didn't want to get lost in another novel and be interrupted when he woke. She decided instead to go over her notes on the book, and was glad to hear Draco start the shower not long after she made her decision.

She went into the kitchen and made him fresh tea, then sat at the table with her notes and the book to wait for him. He strutted into the kitchen wearing only a towel and a smirk, making Hermione blush and feel the familiar pulse of desire in between her legs.

His smirk widened at her obvious blush, "Morning."

Hermione swallowed hard and made herself look into his eyes and nowhere else, "How did you sleep?"

Draco smiled and took his tea, being sure to stretch and show off every carefully carved muscle in his exposed body, "Very well, with you beside me."

Hermione couldn't help but smile and she felt her blush darken, "Well, I'm glad to hear that."

Draco walked towards her and held his hand out for her to take. She did, and he pulled her to stand with him. When she was on her feet, he hugged her tight and kissed the top of her head. Hermione breathed in his scent and rested her head on his bare chest. She was comfortable in his arms, more so than she had ever been with Ron or any other fly-by-night guy she had spent a considerable amount of time with. She smiled against his bare skin and wished they could stay this way forever.

Her fantasy was interrupted by the sound of metal crashing in her living room. She jumped and stepped away from Draco, moving towards her sitting area to see what was going on. Before she could even get out of her kitchen, Ginny Weasely appeared in the doorway, bug-eyed with her mouth agape.

Hermione stuttered, "G-Ginny," she held her hands up in a surrendering fashion, "I can explain-"

Ginny's mouth snapped shut and she shook her head quickly, "Ron's been hurt."

Hermione's eyes widened and she turned to look at Draco. His discomfort was obvious, but his eyes were sympathetic.

"What are you waiting for? Go!" He said to Hermione, who just nodded her head and followed Ginny to her fireplace.

She shot Draco an apologetic look before disappearing out of the kitchen and then away in the green flames of the fireplace.

Draco stood in Hermione's kitchen for a moment, debating what he should do. He wanted to be with Hermione to comfort her, but he knew his presence would only anger Potty and the Weasel family. He decided instead to send Athena with a gift for the youngest Weasley boy. He would sign it "Dobby," as he had done with the letters to Hermione, and eventually, long after Hermione was gone, the twit would figure out where it came from.

He finished his tea, dressed, and then headed out to Hogsmeade to look for something suitable to send to one of his long-term enemies as a consolation gift for Hermione. He laughed and shook his head at the thought of that. He slept with the girl once, and now he was trying to make peace with her idiot clan. What was going on with him?


	6. Chapter 6

Hermione was pacing nervously alongside Harry, Ginny, George, Molly, and Arthur Weasley in the waiting area of St. Mungo's. All they knew was that Ron had been hit with a Cruciatus curse while on a mission with Harry, and by the time Harry discovered him the curse had been going on for long enough to leave him incoherent and unable to walk.

Harry apparated the two of them to the hospital as soon as possible, and Ron was escorted back immediately. Nobody had heard anything from the healers and Harry was blaming himself for allowing this to happen to his best friend and partner. George and Ginny were busy trying to calm Harry while Arthur was calming Molly. Hermione paced alone, wondering how her friend was doing, but she was more worried about Draco. She was upset that she had to leave him after what they had done that morning, and she was anxious to get back to him and assure herself that he wasn't upset with her.

She was trying to distract herself from the thought of Draco when a healer came and summoned the family of Ron Weasley. Everyone let out a small sigh of relief as they followed the healer to Ron's room. When they arrived, Ron was lying still in a bed with bandages on his arms and torso. He was sleeping, but breathing evenly, and he didn't seem to be in any pain.

After everyone was settled in the room, the healer explained that the curse had only temporarily disoriented and paralyzed him, and that he would be back to work by Monday morning. Harry's expression softened a great deal and Molly finally relaxed.

With the anticipation and worry dissolved from the group, they were able to pick up light conversation and chat for a while about small things such as work and relationships. Hermione tried her best to avoid discussing the later, not really knowing her relationship status at the moment, and not really wanting to tell them either way. After a while, she excused herself and Ginny followed. She knew the line of questioning was coming, she just wasn't sure how she was going to answer her friend. She decided to go with honesty, and face the consequences of that as necessary.

As soon as they left the room, Ginny spoke, "Explain."

Hermione sighed, "I don't really know how, Gin."

Ginny stopped and crossed her arms, "Do your best, because I want to know why I walked in on you and a naked Draco Malfoy this morning."

Hermione shushed her and ushered her to a quiet sitting area, "Please keep your voice down. I'll tell you everything but you have to promise to keep it to yourself for the time being."

Ginny took a seat beside her and cocked an eyebrow, thinking for a moment before responding, "Fine, but you tell me _everything_."

Hermione nodded, "Well, it started with strange letters I was getting at work…"

She went on to explain to Ginny about the anonymous letters, the strange meet up, Draco being kicked out of the manor, and her taking him into her home. She told Ginny about the textbook from Hogwarts, and how they fell asleep on the couch reading it. She then confessed that she couldn't sleep the night after and climbed into bed with Draco, waking up the next morning and allowing her impulses to take over for her. When she was finished, Ginny was silent and still as stone. Hermione counted to ten before Ginny finally took a breath and spoke.

"You… had sex with him?" She whispered the term, almost like they were 14 again.

Hermione nodded, "And, Ginny," she placed her hand on her friend's knee, "I would've done it again if you hadn't shown up. He's been very good to me, and it was like nothing I have ever experienced before. I'm telling you, he's a different person now. I don't know why or how, but he is."

Ginny's look softened a bit the longer she stared into her friend's eyes, "Do you love him?"

Hermione snorted, "What? I've only been associating with him the last 4 days, Gin. This morning was a spur of the moment. I don't know where it will lead, but I don't love him."

Ginny nodded, "Just be careful, Hermione, please. Don't get yourself heartbroken."

Hermione smiled and patted Ginny's knee, "I will Gin, I promise."

Ginny patted her hand on top of Hermione's and stood, "We should get back before they start asking questions."

Hermione stood and smiled, "Actually, Gin, I'm going to get home. I did leave a naked man alone in my house this morning."

Ginny laughed and hugged her best friend, "Okay. Be safe and let me know if anything changes. I'll write you about Ron if he wakes up today."

"Thank you, Gin."

Hermione turned and made her way towards the public floo in the lobby of the hospital. She stepped in and said her address, then appeared in her living room. She noticed Draco sitting on her plush couch with Athena, wrapping small boxes and tying them to the leg of the bird.

"What are you doing?" She asked as she took off her cloak and hung it on the rack by her fireplace.

He shrugged as he tied the last box to the bird, "I figured I would send Weasley something to help cheer him up after his incident."

Hermione furrowed her brows and walked towards him slowly, "Who are you and what have you done with Draco Malfoy?"

Draco smiled, "Don't get your knickers twisted, Granger. I'm doing this for you, not him."

She smiled and blushed, "Why?"

He shrugged again as he took Athena to the open window, "I figured if I want to make something out of our little rendezvous, I better be able to get along with your friends."

She smiled and walked over to the window, watching Athena fly away with Draco. He put his arms around her waist and hugged her from behind, placing his chin gently on her shoulder and kissing her collar bone.

She felt the goosebumps rise all over her body and smiled as she leaned back into Draco's touch, "You really want to make something out of this?"

He nuzzled his nose into her neck, "I'd like to, if you do."

She turned in his arms and joined her hands behind his neck, "Let's just take it day by day, okay?"

He smiled and kissed her softly, pulling away before it got too heated. He smiled down at her and moved his hands up and down her sides. She moved her linked hands to grasp his and twine their fingers together; it was like fitting two pieces of a puzzle, they laced together perfectly.

Draco bent down to place his forehead against hers and kissed her nose briefly, "How is Weasley doing?"

Hermione lifted her chin and placed a quick kiss on his lips, "He was hit with a Cruciatus during a mission. It temporarily disoriented and paralyzed him, but the healers said he would be back to work Monday. He was still sleeping when I left."

Draco pulled away to look at Hermione, "Why did you leave, then?"

Hermione smiled and scrunched her eyebrows at the same time, "If you want the truth, I was worried you were upset with me for leaving you naked and alone this morning."

Draco laughed, "You should've stayed with your friends, darling. I can take care of myself for a while, you know."

Hermione smiled at him, "Yes, but maybe I missed you."

Draco kissed her sweetly and wrapped one arm around her waist, "Well, that's more like it."

Hermione smiled and rested her head on Draco's chest as he began moving to the rhythm of music only he could hear. They danced in silence for a while, before Draco began humming and Hermione chuckled at him, causing them both to break out in a fit of laughter that ended with them tangled together on the couch.

Draco flicked his wand and conjured a small flame in the fireplace across the room, then pulled the throw blanket over himself and Hermione. She levitated the Hogwarts book from across the room and opened it to where they had left off. They read in comfortable silence through the end of the book.


	7. Chapter 7

Hermione closed the book slowly, noting Draco's tension and trying to give him time to process his thoughts. She sat up and looked at him for a moment, trying to decide what, if anything, she should say. After a while, he stood silently, and she followed him to her bedroom.

He sat at the edge of her plush bed and caught her arm as she was passing to sit beside him. He moved her to stand in front of him and gripped her hips to pull her into his lap. She let him pull her to him, kissing him softly as she lowered herself over him.

He laid back and she followed, letting him pull her top over her head as she trailed kisses down his neck. He moaned and roll on top of her, taking off his shirt in the process. Hermione ran her hands down his chest, stopping to unbutton his pants.

He slipped out of the remainder of his clothes and removed Hermione's in a few swift motions. He then took her breast into his mouth, making her moan with pleasure as his tongue danced over her sensitive nipples. She rubbed his back gently and locked her fingers into his hair, bringing his mouth back up to hers so she could catch it in a passionate kiss.

He kissed her gently but hungrily and she didn't stop him when he gently bit her bottom lip. She lifted her legs and bent her knees so her feet were flat on the bed beneath her. Draco took the invitation and slid effortlessly into her, making them both groan as he filled her.

He rocked slowly, making Hermione crazy as her pleasure built slowly. She wanted him to be rough with her like he had been before, but the look in his eyes wasn't rough. He looked hurt, worried, and she knew he was stressing out about his mother. She couldn't believe she was thinking about Narcissa while having sex with her son, but she couldn't help it that she picked up on small things like that.

She let Draco do what he wanted, and obeyed when he moved and turned her, trying her best to hold back her groans of frustration as her orgasm built painstakingly slow. Draco felt every ounce of her frustration, but continued to move slowly with her instead of speeding up his pace the way they both wanted him to. He needed to be gentle with her, to show her that he wasn't the monster he would have to become when it came time to break the curse with his mother.

After a while, they were both on the brink of their release, and Draco moved hard a few times to make sure him and Hermione were toppling over the edge at the same time. They both stiffened and moaned with the best orgasm either of them had ever experienced, ending their contact with slow, passionate kisses.

Draco smiled at the sleepy, sated woman underneath him and rolled her over to lay with him in a comforting embrace. She fell asleep within a few minutes and he watched her, thankful she was able to rest. He knew he would have to go see his mother the following day, and it kept him restless.

The first step in the curse-breaking process was proper diagnosis, and in order to do that he would have to provoke his mother on many different subjects. One of them, the one he was most afraid of, was going to be Hermione. He would tell his mother where he had been staying and that he had formed a sexual relationship with the Muggle-born witch, then he would record her actions and bring them back to Hermione to formulate a plan on how to proceed.

The more he thought about his mother's reaction to his and Hermione's newfound relationship, the more all the other provocation requirements seemed easy. Draco wouldn't have to do much to bring up the subject of his father, seeing if she reacted positively to the man in question that she should loath with her entire being. He wouldn't have to provoke an attack on one of the House Elves, he had seen plenty of those for himself. It wouldn't be difficult to gauge his mother's reaction when he reminded her of Dobby, the House Elf she adored and silently mourned for 2 weeks over when she found of his untimely death at the hands of her sister. No, none of these things would be difficult for him.

The most difficult part of his plan tomorrow would be seeing his mother become infuriated at the mention of a relationship with the beautiful woman lying in his arms. He would have trouble keeping his head on straight when his mother threw every derogatory term she knew for Hermione at him. He would find it difficult to not react when his mother threw hexes his way for admitting to even looking twice at the girl.

He would remember her reaction for the rest of his life, even if he and Hermione were able to break the curse on his mother. He would never forget the hurtful words he was expecting her to say tomorrow. If something were to come of this budding relationship, which he so dearly longed for, he would never be able to forget the way his mother initially reacted, even if she was cured and adored Hermione in the future.

He closed his eyes, not to sleep, but to stop the forming tears from falling. He held Hermione closer, appreciating her warmth and comfort against him as she dreamed peacefully without any knowledge of Draco's damning thoughts. He would have to leave before she got up for work in the morning to avoid worrying her too much.

He decided to keep his eyes closed, whether or not he slept, just to avoid overthinking more than he already was. Eventually, sleep took over him and he rested under Hermione, not moving a muscle as to not disturb her, until he woke when it was still dark out. He slipped quietly out of the bed and dressed himself without disturbing Hermione, then slipped out of her flat without so much as a note. He would return that afternoon, he knew she would be angry with him, but he had to do this on his own today.

Hermione woke to a cold, empty bed. She sighed. She knew Draco would go to his mother as soon as they finished reading the book, and she had a feeling he would go alone, she just didn't think it would be so soon. She really wished he had discussed it with her a little bit beforehand, maybe to try to come up with a plan rather than just going in there and hoping for the best.

She got up slowly and grudgingly went about her morning, showering, feeding Athena and herself, then dressing and heading off for work. She wasn't looking forward to going back, mainly because she knew there would be questions as to why she was gone that she wouldn't be able to answer, but she also just wanted to stay home and wait for Draco.

However, she knew she couldn't do that, and made her way to work on time as she usually did. She was greeted by Hannah, who she blew off as kindly as she knew how before making her way to her office and closing her door. She was in a bad mood, there was no question about it, and she didn't want to be bothered.

She noticed a few files on her desk that weren't there when she left Monday, so she sorted through them and went about dealing with the few issues they presented. There were some boundary issues with the Centaurs in the forbidden forest she would take up with Kingsley, and there was a case of House Elf rehoming she needed to deal with along with an investigation into the death of a House Elf that seemed to be due to natural causes.

It was a painfully slow day for Hermione, who ate lunch on her own and made her best effort to be avoided by her peers. She couldn't stop worrying about Draco, she wanted desperately to try and contact him or to return to her office after stopping by the breakroom for tea to see him sitting on her sofa. She didn't have any luck, no matter how hard she wished, and she went home grumpy and worried.

When she arrived, her flat was just as empty as she left it, except for a huge bouquet of roses on her dining room table. She took off her cloak and went to investigate, picking up the folded parchment sitting in front of the vase that held the flowers.

 _Granger,_

 _Please don't worry about me. I will be back in time to treat you to dinner. Be ready by 8._

 _D.M._

Hermione felt herself smile for the first time that day. She put the parchment back where she found it and allowed herself to relax a bit. She still had two hours before she was expected to be ready, so she ran herself a hot bath and relaxed in the water for a while.

She drained the tub and pulled on her robe, it still smelled like Draco's soap, then made her way to the bedroom. Lying on her bed was a small, elegant black dress accompanied by expensive designer shoes and silver jewelry. She gasped as she picked up each item, feeling it with her fingers and appreciating every seem, chain loop, and stone.

She dressed in the outfit Draco laid out for her and looked in the mirror. She was pleasantly shocked by her appearance and she nearly cried out of anger towards herself for being so frustrated with him all day. She turned and looked at herself from every angle, not finding a single flaw in the design of the dress or the way the jewelry seemed to match it perfectly.

She pinned and curled her hair, then applied a small amount of makeup to finish off the look. She rarely ever did any kind of dressing up and she had to search for a while to find her makeup because she couldn't remember where she put it the last time she had worn it ages ago. She looked at herself one last time and, satisfied with her handiwork, made her way to her sitting room to wait for Draco to arrive.

At 8 o'clock on the dot, Draco stepped out of her fireplace dressed in a clean, black suit that accented every inch of his tall, masculine figure. He smiled as soon as he saw her, holding back his gasp at how amazing she looked.

Hermione smiled and stood, taking his extended hand and allowing him to pull her close. He kissed her sweetly and ran his eyes down and back up her body.

"You look absolutely amazing, Hermione Jean." Draco said with a catch in his voice.

Hermione smiled, "You don't look too bad yourself, Mr. Malfoy."

Draco grinned like Hermione had never seen before and took her hand. He led her to the front door of her flat and opened it for her, letting her walk out in front of him before following close behind her. He took her waist and guided them to the street where a car was waiting for them. He opened the door for her and stepped in afterwards, sitting close to her and admiring her once again.

"I thought we would take a trip to Muggle London. I wanted to see what all the fuss was about," Draco smiled and waved his hand, "all this Muggle stuff."

Hermione giggled, "Well, you started off the right way by getting a car. You're going to love it."

Draco placed his hand on her knee and she rested her head on his shoulder, pointing out different popular Muggle shops and restaurants they passed on their way to the place he had reserved for them. They arrived at an exclusive restaurant, usually reserved for the highest paid celebrities in the country.

Hermione gasped, "Draco, you have to be a very important person to be allowed in the place."

Draco smiled as a chauffeur opened the door for them, "Have you forgotten, my dear? I am a very important person."

Hermione stepped out of the car after Draco, gripping his hand tightly as she followed him into the restaurant. A very well-dress host approached them and held out a hand which Draco took and shook professionally. The man then took Hermione's hand and kissed it gently, then requested they follow him to a reserved table in the back of the building.

Hermione graciously scooted herself in the booth, followed by Draco who sat close to her and wrapped his arm around her small waist.

Hermione stopped looked around the elaborately decorated place to turn to Draco, "How did you do this? This is amazing."

Draco laughed, "Don't worry about the specifics, my queen. Just enjoy the evening with me."

He smiled and her heart melted. She kissed him quickly but passionately, feeling her entire body warm and pulse with desire. She pulled away and tried to hide her shudder, but she knew Draco noticed when he chuckled at her.

"Why are you doing all this for me?" Hermione asked humbly.

Draco leaned in and kissed her temple, "Because your smile makes me happy, darling."

Hermione smiled, of course, and noticed the soft grey of his eyes. He was happy, smiling and enjoying a night out with her. She had expected him to be upset, angry even, after returning from his visit with his mother. She though briefly that maybe he didn't go to the Manor, and decided to question him on the matter.

"How was your day?" She asked, reading over the menu in front of her.

He smiled, but it wasn't as bright, "I saw my mother today," his grip on her waist tightened, "I don't think there's any question as to what's been ailing her. My suspicions were correct."

Hermione scrunched her eyebrows, "I figured you would be upset after seeing her."

Draco pulled her closer to him, "I was, a bit, until I remembered that something can be done about all of it. I have you, the brightest witch of our age, and I believe we can help her. That is, if you still want to."

Hermione looked up at him, "Of course I do, Draco. I wouldn't back out now."

He smiled at her again, this time a lot lighter than before, "Good, I knew I could count on you."

He kissed her forehead again as the server returned to take their orders. They enjoyed a quiet, lavish meal together and Hermione noticed herself swooning over the man next to her. Was there something behind Ginny's questioning of whether or not she was in love with him? She could feel herself wondering if this relationship- if she dared call it that- was going to go anywhere, and she silently hoped that it would.

Draco did the same as he watched his date throughout the evening. He was taken aback by her simple beauty, and he knew he was in for trouble with the woman. He was falling for her, and he couldn't stop it if he tried, not that he wanted to.

When their night was over, they returned to Hermione's flat and Draco pleasured her body in as many ways as he could, leaving her sleepy, happy, and most likely sore. He fell asleep smiling with her head on his chest, and woke wearing the same expression even though he was alone. He couldn't help but be happy after the most amazing night of his life with a girl he once swore to hate with every ounce of himself.


	8. Chapter 8

Hermione woke the morning after her date with Draco and couldn't help her wide smile and warm glow. She was happy, inside and out, for the first time in a long time. Sure, she had been happy with her life and was always satisfied with herself and her work, but she would be lying if she said she hadn't been jealous of her friends in relationships that were marrying and having children. She was happy now, there was a man- a damn good one- in her life, and she had everything else she could ever want.

She went to work wearing her bright smile, and talked and laughed with her coworkers throughout the day. She discussed the Centaur issue with Kingsley, then set out to speak with the leader of the group of Centaurs on the legal lines they were not to cross. Kingsley went about speaking with the opposing side, and they both returned to their respective offices feeling as though they had each done a great job.

Hermione followed along a small group of her investigators to the funeral of the House Elf that was thought to be abused, and was happy to walk away knowing that the accusations of mistreatment were wrong. She also killed her second House Elf bird with the same stone by reassigning the other House Elf whose file found its way to her desk to the grieving family.

When her work day was done, she packed up and went home happy with her work and excited to see Draco. On her way back to her flat, she stopped to pick up groceries so that she could attempt to get Draco to help her cook the Muggle way, and also a nice bottle of Muggle champagne to try out on her house-guest-turned-bed-buddy (boyfriend?).

She came home to a chaotic, but hilariously cute, scene of Draco trying to clean up a broken vase while Athena fluttered loudly around her living area. She watched long enough to see Draco repair the vase and return it to its place on the mantle, only for the large owl to fly and knock it over once again. When Draco became frustrated and tried to call the bird, she hooted and flew out of his reach.

He looked up to see Hermione watching with a childish grin on her face, "This bloody bird bit me and won't behave!"

Hermione laughed, "She bites when she's hungry, Draco!" Hermione said, mockingly.

Draco scowled and tried to grab for the bird again, who only evaded him, "She's not blood hungry I put carrots in her cage and that's when she made a run for it!"

Hermione walked towards the bird calmly, who gently flew towards her and perched herself on Hermione's outstretched arm, "She's bleeding, Draco," Hermione said as she gently plucked a small sewing needle from the bird's belly, "how did she find my needles?"

Draco repaired the vase and walked towards Hermione and Athena, "Your what?"

Hermione held up the sharp object, "My sewing needles, it's a muggle thing. She must've gotten hold of this somehow."

Draco gently reached out and pet the bird, who was now calm, "Is she going to be alright?"

Hermione smiled, "She'll be fine, I just have to remember to close up my drawers better when I leave for work."

Draco held out his arm and Athena hopped from Hermione to him, "I'll go put her away."

Hermione smiled and nodded, then went to her doorway and collected her bagged groceries and took them to her kitchen. When Draco returned, he watched her unbag every item and put it away in her cupboards and refrigerator.

"Why don't you just use your wand?" Draco asked, half-teasingly.

Hermione smiled, "Sometimes I like to do things this way. It relaxes me."

Draco stepped closer to her and wrapped her in his arms, "You're quite strange, Granger."

She leaned her head back on his shoulder as he kissed her neck, "I think you'd agree with me if you tried it," she turned and kissed him sweetly, "which is why I want you to help me cook dinner tonight."

Draco rose an eyebrow, "Cook? You mean, without magic?"

Hermione chuckled, "Yes, without magic. I want to do it the Muggle way. I think it'll be awfully fun, if it doesn't turn out to be a huge mess, and in that case it would just be extremely entertaining for me."

Draco smirked at her, "Granger, I don't even cook _with_ magic. There's no way you're getting me to do it without."

Hermione smiled and ran her fingers in between the buttons of his shirt, then up his neck and into his hair, "I'll make it worth it."

Draco felt himself harden behind his waistband, "Damn you, Vixen."

Hermione raised up and kissed him softly, parting her lips slightly for him. He deepened the kiss and placed her on top of the counter behind her. He ran his hands up her sides, loosening her blouse and making her moan for him.

Suddenly, a desire came over Hermione that wasn't sexual. She tilted her head back and let him kiss and bite her neck, but spoke as soon as she caught her breath.

"What do you want this to be?"

He stopped and let his lips hover over her throat for a moment, "What do you mean?"

She raised his face so their eyes met, "Is this some kind of thing? Relationship? What we're doing? Is this all going to be over whenever Narcissa is better?"

Draco furrowed his eyebrows, "Hermione," he kissed her cheek and laughed for a split second, "do you know how much I've thought about this?"

Hermione looked confused, "I… no, I guess not."

Draco smiled, "I want my mother to get better so she can accept you and welcome you into her life. I want her to love you like a daughter. I've thought so many times that if we could just get her better- cure her, that she would adore you and there wouldn't be a thing left in the world for me to worry about. Hermione Jean Granger, I want you around for a long, long time."

Hermione smiled and cupped Draco's face in her hands, "Really? You… you want more than this?"

Draco kissed her quickly, "Yes. Gods, yes, Hermione. I want so much more than this. I want to experience life with you. I…" He trailed off and turned his head to the side.

Hermione caught his gaze again and pulled his face back to hers, "You love me?"

Draco tried to swallow, but it caught in his throat that was now dry as a bone, "It's just so soon, but I've never felt this way about anyone before."

Hermione kissed his forehead, "I know, believe me, I know. Don't think I haven't thought about it, too."

Draco smiled and pulled Hermione off the counter and into a hug, "Whatever this is, can we just let it be? I don't want to rush anything or try to put labels on it just yet. I feel for you what I do, and I know I don't ever want to be without you. If that's enough for you, it's enough for me. Just, be mine."

Hermione smiled into his chest, "Draco, that's so much more than enough for me. I'm yours."

Draco kissed the top of her head, "And I'm yours, my beautiful angel."

Hermione then led him to her bedroom and that made love so passionate they both thought they would explode with it. Draco caressed Hermione's body in his strong arms as he pleasured her body both inside and out, and Hermione let her delicate body please Draco's harder, more experienced one in ways she didn't know she could.

Hermione had never been able to make a man moan, squirm, and curse with pleasure the way she had Draco, and he had never been more satisfied with the way a woman felt underneath his pleasuring maneuvers.

Their sex was rough and red-hot, then gentle and loving all wrapped together in an orgasmic bundle that made both of them unravel together into soft, sweaty heaps of mounted pleasure in Hermione's bed. When it was over, Hermione had tears in her eyes and Draco was exhausted. Hermione ran her delicate fingers along Draco's carved chest as he played with her hair and peppered kisses along her features at every chance he got.

He couldn't say it to her yet, but he knew he was in love with Hermione Granger. He was head over heels in love with the girl he was lying with, and he wanted so much to protect her and love her until the end of his days. The thought of spending his life with her, seeing her carry his children, and always being able to share a bed with her made him smile.

Hermione was the happiest she had ever been, and so was Draco. He refused to dampen his good mood by thinking about things such as his mother and father, Hermione's friends, and even the fact she would have to go back to work in a few days. He would spend this weekend with this amazing woman that he loved with all of his heart, and he wouldn't let a thing come between them until he had no other choice. That was his final thought as they both drifted into a peaceful, dreamless sleep.

The peacefulness didn't last long for Draco, who soon began dreaming of his mother. The dream was foggy, but it was simple to see that she was not well, and she was being hurt. Draco knew this dream was not a fear of what would happen, but an image of what was currently happening. He woke with a start, surprised to see Hermione looming over him with a pained and worried expression on her face.

"My mother," was all he said before he was on his feet, pulling on the clothing they had previously discarded, "I have to get to her."

Hermione stood, fully clothed, next to him, "I'm going with you."

Draco stopped halfway through buttoning his top, "No, I won't put you in danger. I don't know what's going on but as soon as I figure it out I'll be back here with you."

Hermione stepped in front of him and grasped his hands in hers, "I had the same dream."

If Draco had any doubts about his dream being a vision, they were gone the moment her words filled the air surrounding them. He grabbed his wand and her hand, then apparated them to the lawn of the manor.

He held her hand tightly in his as they crept their way around the estate. It was obvious something was taking place inside. Lights were on in a few rooms on the top floor, and there were brooms surrounding the front door that were easily recognizable as belonging to death eaters.

Draco summoned a small House Elf into the yard, who screeched at the sight of him and gripped his leg like a scared child.

"Peeky, calm down, please. You have to be quiet. What's going on in there?"

The small elf with a high-pitched voice answered shakily, "They came to hurt Miss, saying Master Draco was a traitor with a mudblood girl," the elf then walked towards Hermione and held out her hand, "this one, here."

Hermione had to hold back tears as the elf came closer to her. She noticed slashes, marks, bruises, and ragged cuts all over the small, fragile creature.

"Peeky, I'm Hermione Granger, I work in the Ministry to protect your kind. I'm not here to hurt you, I want to help you. The men that are here now have put a curse on your Mistress, making her do all of these awful things to you. If you can help us get inside without being detected, we can make sure you will never be mistreated this way again. Will you help us, Peeky?"

The small elf nodded and took Hermione's hand gently, "Please follow, Miss."

Hermione turned to Draco, who nodded, and Hermione followed Peeky as Draco went a different direction. The elf took her around the manor and into a small garden, then through a hidden pathway that led underground and into the dungeon area of the large home. Hermione noticed the abundance of bloody weapons, presumably used on the House Elves, and the few elves that were chained in cells lining the walls.

Peeky stopped in front of a large door, "I can take you no further, Miss."

Hermione nodded, "Thank you, Peeky."

The elf walked back to an open cell and sat near another elf who looked as if he was dying. Hermione held back her tears and opened the large door as quietly as she could, revealing a large winding staircase. She drew her wand and began moving up the stairs quietly.

The closer she got to the top of the stairs, the more yelling and screaming she could hear coming from the higher levels of the house. She was terrified, but she knew she had to keep going. She hadn't felt this way since the war, but she wasn't going to stop until she finished what she had come to do. She made a promise to Draco, and she would follow through with it.

As she thought of Draco, she wondered whether or not she was going to run into him before or after she met chaos. Surely he knew where Peeky was taking her, or he wouldn't have let them go off alone, right? As she ascended the last few steps, she caught a whiff of Draco's cologne. She could identify the smell anywhere, and it stopped her in her tracks.

She looked around her, but it was difficult to see in the darkness of the manor. She sighed a small sigh and took a few steps away from the staircase before she was grabbed from behind. She suppressed her scream, knowing it was Draco who was holding onto her.

She turned in his arms and looked at his frightened face. He kissed her slowly and then held a finger to her lips to shush her. She nodded and he took her hand, then led her down the dark hallway of the manor and into a room that was equally as dim and creepy. At the other end of this room, however, there was a large door with light shining through the cracks.

Hermione and Draco both knew instantly that's where Narcissa and the death eaters were, and Draco stepped quietly to the door so he could listen in on the conversation better. After a moment, he held up 3 fingers to Hermione, signifying the 3 death eaters that were in the other room with Narcissa. Hermione straightened her stance and nodded, giving Draco the go ahead to open the door forcefully.

Taking the moment of confusion to their advantage, Draco and Hermione were able to stupefy and incapacitate 2 of the death eaters. The third, however, was holding his wand to Narcissa's neck. Draco's eyes were locked onto the death eater's lifeless ones, and the look of Narcissa made Hermione want to drop to her knees.

She was bloody, crying, and weak. It was obvious she had been tortured long before Draco and Hermione arrived, and the pleading look in her eyes was hard for Hermione to handle. She was broken and needy, but when her gaze shifted from Draco to Hermione her pleading look became angry and evil. Her sky blue eyes turned dark and she began thrashing in the arms of the death eater. She was screaming profanities and insults at Hermione, the death eater holding her still eventually silenced her, then turned his gaze to the girl.

"I think it would be more efficient to have this conversation without the mudblood making things difficult." He snarled at Hermione, and turned his eyes to Draco who was standing still as stone, wand pointed at the man and his mother.

Hermione looked to Draco, who broke his concentration only to glance at her and nod once, signaling her to leave the room. Hermione did, and as soon as the door closed behind her she conjured a Patronus.

The otter hovered in front of her and she spoke her message quickly, "Three death eaters at Malfoy Manor. Narcissa and Draco being held hostage." She instructed the otter to go to Kingsley, and in a matter of seconds it was gone.

Hermione stayed close to the door and closed her eyes. She focused her senses on listening to what was transpiring in the room she had been shooed out of. She counted backwards from 100, and when she got to 37 she heard the cracks of apparition and the loud chaos of the Aurors.

She smiled slightly and reentered the room. The sight she saw made her tension subside. Kingsley was there with Harry and another Auror she couldn't remember the name of. The death eaters were incapacitated and Narcissa was lying on the floor of the room, confused and disoriented. Draco was kneeling down by his mother, looking over her body and healing all the small wounds he could.

Hermione took a few steps towards Draco and Narcissa, but was careful not to get too close. Draco looked at her apologetically and continued his healing as Harry caught her attention.

"What the hell happened, Hermione?" He asked.

Hermione let out a breath, "It's quite a story, Harry. I'll have to tell you and Ron soon. There's a lot you need to know."

Harry raised an eyebrow, "Why are you running about with Malfoy?"

Hermione tensed, but tried her hardest not to let it show, "That's part of what I have to tell you. I just… I can't right now, Harry. I need to be with him and Narcissa. I'm sorry, I promise I'll catch you up later."

Harry tried to speak again but Hermione stopped him and walked to Kingsley, "Thank you, so much Kingsley."

He smiled down at Hermione, "You helped us cross three death eaters off our list, Miss Granger, I should be thanking you," Hermione smiled, "which is why you're getting two weeks paid vacation effective immediately. I don't want to see you in the office for a minimum of 14 days, is that understood?"

Hermione was shocked, "I… Yes," she turned to look at Draco, then back to Kingsley, "Thank you."

Kingsley smiled and nodded, "Go on, he needs your support I'm sure," he turned away from her, then back, "Oh, and this curse she's been put under, they've seen quite a bit of cases at St. Mungo's recently. It shouldn't be difficult to break it."

Hermione nodded and all at once, Kingsley, Harry, the third Auror, and all three death eaters disappeared. It was quiet for a moment, and Hermione took the opportunity to absorb her surroundings. She took a deep breath and remembered that Narcissa still needed help.

She turned to see Draco standing with his mother, supporting her and walking towards the fireplace. She kept her distance but followed behind them, making herself available if either one of them were to fall. Draco situated them in the fireplace and grabbed a handful of floo powder. He nodded at Hermione and then disappeared into green flames.

Hermione waited a few moments before following them to the healing center. She stepped out of the public floo at St. Mungos and sat in a chair in the empty waiting room.


	9. Chapter 9

Draco stayed with his mother as she was looked over and until the curse breaker wouldn't allow him to be in the room anymore. He then made his way to the waiting area, wondering if Hermione had followed and if she had, was she still there?

His questions were answered when he saw her bushy brown hair in one of the waiting room chairs. He walked quietly to her and whispered her name. She didn't budge, so he moved in front of her and noticed she was sleeping. He smiled at the peaceful look she was wearing and crouched down in front of her.

He took her hands in his and widened his smile as her eyes slowly opened, "Hey, sleeping beauty."

Hermione smiled and took a deep breath, "What time is it?"

She could see through the window that the sun was beginning to come up around the trees that surrounded the hospital, and she knew she had been there for a long time.

Draco shrugged, "About 6," he stood and Hermione stood with him, "let's get you home, darling."

Hermione nodded and followed Draco to the public floo. He took them to the Malfoy Manor and, though it confused Hermione, she didn't protest. She followed him quietly up two sets of stairs and to the left end of a long, dark hallway. He opened two double doors for her and presented his bedroom to her.

It was decorated with silk fabrics and sheets, all in a forest green color accented with silver pieces and elegant embellishments. Hermione was awed by the size and complexity of the room, but didn't comment on it as Draco took her hand and led her to his large, plush bed. He tucked her thoughtfully into the silk sheets and kissed her forehead. She was asleep within seconds.

Draco took a moment to admire her sleeping form once again before leaving her alone in his room and making his way to the other end of the manor. He entered a room he knew as his father's wardrobe and began gathering small articles of clothing.

He took t-shirts, socks, scarves, ties, and anything he could find he felt fit for what he was planning. When he felt satisfied with his collection, he made his way down to the manor library and summoned all the House Elves.

He gently dressed each Elf from head to toe, freeing them from their confinements and allowing them to go wherever they pleased. Many Elves were too sick or injured to do so, however, and those he tended to himself. He healed wounds and illnesses the best he could, then conjured beds for the Elves and gave them each their own living spaces, telling them they were free to stay at the manor as long as they needed.

Draco was satisfied with his work and felt undeniably happy about the good deed he had done. Sure, he enjoyed having the House Elves around to wait on him, but spending time with Hermione had shown him that he was just as capable of doing things on his own, and he was going to make sure she taught him how to cook the muggle way whenever the two of them got around to it.

Some Elves, like Peeky, insisted to stay and work at the manor so long as they would be treated fairly. Draco promised them proper housing, treatment, and nourishment with the ability to say no and come and go as they pleased. They were satisfied with that and went about their daily activities around the manor as happy and free elves.

When all was said and done, Draco made his way back up to his bedroom to fall into bed with Hermione. He undressed partially and slid into bed next to her. He went to wrap his arms around her but was surprised when she turned to face him, eyes wide and a smile on her face.

"That was a wonderful thing you did, Draco. I'm so proud of you."

He smiled as she kissed him, "Did you have a dream?"

Hermione laughed, "No, I woke up and went looking for you. Peeky found me and told me what you had done. Then she took me to the library and showed me that you were healing some of the injured and sick."

Draco smiled, "Damn that Peeky. She's always been my favorite, you know?"

Hermione brushed his cheek, "I think she's mine, too. She told me I was the prettiest of all your lady friends and asked if she could be invited to our wedding."

Draco laughed loudly, then looked Hermione straight in the eyes and said, "I think we could make room for her."

Hermione's eyes widened again with shock and a smile grew on her delicate face. Draco leaned in and kissed her passionately, moving his hands up and down her body with need. Hermione felt hot with desire and moved to accommodate his rushed kisses.

Draco moved down Hermione's body and pleasured her as usual, leaving her red-faced and out of breath. He was moving kisses up her chest when she stopped him and rolled on top of him. A shocked look came over his face for a moment before Hermione spoke.

"I want to try something."

Draco nodded and gave Hermione the reigns, allowing her to slowly explore his body with her tongue. He knew what she wanted to do and that she was nervous, so he didn't rush her. He watched her intently and smiled when she looked at him. He wanted her to feel safe and secure with him, and she did.

She eventually made her way down below his torso. He was hard and waiting, ready for her at any moment. She took his erection in her fist and moved up and down a few times, noting the obvious pleasure it gave Draco. She then threw the remainder of her inhibitions out the window and took him into her mouth, sucking gently and watching Draco bite his lip with pleasure.

She took her time, trying new things and gaining a knowledge for what exactly it was that Draco liked. She was gaining confidence in her performance when he stopped her and lifted her head to his, making her straddle him. She furrowed her eyebrows in confusion, wondering if she had done something wrong.

Draco smiled, "That was amazing," he kissed her, "I had to stop you or I wouldn't have been able to please you like this."

He moved his hips and lifted Hermione slightly, then sat her down on top of his pulsing erection. They both let their heads fall back with ecstasy and Hermione moaned as her hands found Draco's soft hair. She gently moved her body up and down on his lap, riding him until her legs were weak and she could feel her orgasm coming.

Draco sensed her pleasure and moved his hips upwards, sending Hermione toppling over the edge of orgasmic bliss while he remained inside her. He let her ride out her orgasm and then flipped her over without separating them.

He kissed her hard and possessively as he thrusted inside her and reached his own orgasm. She whined and moaned as he came inside her, digging her fingernails into his back and biting his shoulder through her second wave of pleasure.

Draco lifted his head and smiled at her, looking deep into her coffee colored eyes and noting her true beauty for the thousandth time. She smiled back at him and moved stray, sweaty pieces of hair out of his face.

He hesitated, but spoke, "I love you, Hermione," he kissed her sweetly, "and we've got to do something about that."

Hermione smiled, "You really think so?"

Draco nodded, "I want you all to myself, forever."

Hermione bit her lip, "Good, because I love you, too."

Draco and Hermione spent the following few days in the manor, making love and flying high on the rush of their relationship. Neither one of them had ever experienced the kind of love they shared before, and it was new and exciting for the both of them.

They visited Narcissa daily, making sure to bring her gifts and slowly ease the idea of Hermione being in Draco's life onto her. By day 3, she welcomed Hermione with a tight smile and reluctantly commented that as long as her son was happy, she was happy. They took that and ran with it, seeing as it was better than Hermione being hexed into another dimension whenever Narcissa caught sight of her.

Hermione knew she had to tell her friends, and she was as ready as she could ever be to do so, but she was still scared of their reactions. Ron had been out of St. Mungos and back at work for a while now, but she had avoided him and Harry at all costs.

She knew she would have some owls perched outside of her window at home, but she stayed away from her flat regardless. She tried to discuss it with Draco, who told her to write them a letter and tell them to sod off in the process. He wasn't thrilled with the idea of Potty and the Weasel losing their shit over his and Hermione's personal lives, but he knew she needed to tell them and she needed to do it her own way, so he left her to figure it out on her own.

She finally came to him one morning, jittery with nerves, "I think we should invite them to dinner."

Draco nodded, not looking up from the book he was reading, "Whatever you think is best, my love."

Hermione stood in front of him, "Tonight."

Draco coughed and looked at her, "That's… soon."

Hermione placed his book to the side and sat in his lap, "I'm tired of waiting. I want them to know so they can either accept it or hate me and we can move on."

Draco smoothed her hair and kissed her neck, "They won't hate you. They're your friends, and we're all adults. It's going to be fine, love."

Hermione smiled and kissed him, "I love you."

"I love you, too, my dear."

Draco insisted he had the perfect place to hold the dinner, which he did, and he had to go make the reservations in person due to it being such a last minute affair. He could've just owled the owner, whom he knew personally, but he had other things to do to prepare for the dinner himself.

He was planning to ask Hermione to move in with him, and then marry him. He wasn't sure what he was going to do first, but he knew he wanted to make Hermione his forever if she would have him. His decision to go to Hogsmead after making reservations at the most prestigious restaurant in London was completely on a whim. He purchased Hermione another outfit and shoes for their evening, coordinating it with a suit he had at home.

He stepped into the jewelry shop and took a deep breath. He knew the outfit he had chosen for Hermione didn't need any newly purchased accessories, as his mother had plenty at the manor that would complement both Hermione and the dress perfectly.

He walked quietly around the shop, looking at many pieces but not really seeing much until he came across the casing that held the rings. He stopped cold in his tracks and looked over every piece carefully. He couldn't find anything he thought was fit for the love of his life, and was a bit relieved as he could tell himself that was the reason he left the store empty handed.

He was just about to turn around when a jeweler approached him, "Mr. Malfoy, shopping for someone special?"

Draco shook his head, "Only browsing."

The jeweler pressed on, "I can build any ring you'd like in a matter of minutes, Mr. Malfoy. I'm well aware that someone special enough to have you considering an engagement ring wouldn't be seen laughing at one of these pieces."

Draco looked at the jeweler, "What did you have in mind?"

The jeweler ushered Draco into a back room, hidden away from the windows of the shop. This room was unorganized and cluttered with different metals, jewels, and stones of varying sizes and colors. The jeweler walked Draco to a table in the middle of the room and he sat, still unsure about his decision to actually purchase a ring.

The jeweler moved around the room quietly for a few moments, gathering up boxes of different stones and ring settings. When he sat in front of Draco, he placed many different things in front of him and lifted his wand.

"First, I should start by asking if you would like a color scheme. Does this young lady come from Hogwarts? Slytherin house? Or are you preferring a colorless stone?" The jeweler was rotating remarkably large stones of green, red, yellow, and blue around in front of him.

Draco looked away from the floating rocks and straight at the jeweler, "Gryffindor."

The man raised his eyebrows, "Ah, what a combination!"

He flicked his wand and a ring was assembled in front of Draco. He had to catch his breath at the simple, yet baffling beauty of the piece floating in front of him. It was a gold set ring with a 7 carat centered cushion cut ruby, surrounded by 3mm clear diamonds on all four sides, with 4 slightly larger green emeralds in each corner of the ruby. It was absolutely beautiful, and it integrated the Slytherin and Gryffindor house colors so eloquently. Draco could already see it on Hermione's finger, and he knew at that moment that he had made the right decision by coming into the shop that day.

The jeweler smiled, pleased with his handiwork and Draco's reaction, "I can have this set and wrapped immediately, Mr. Malfoy."

Draco nodded, "Yes, thank you."

The jeweler went about preparing the ring while Draco filled out paperwork for the piece he was purchasing. He had never spent so much money on jewelry before and, apparently, spending close to 100,000 galleons on a ring was a fairly large deal for these jewelers.

After Draco finished with everything required at the jewelry store, he made his way back to the manor and tried his best to not show his nervousness for the night. He presented Hermione with the new outfit and she loved it along with the jewelry of his mother's he had picked out for her.

She didn't seem to notice that he was a bit uneasy, as she was quite fidgety herself. She did ask him once if he was nervous but he was able to brush it off easily by telling her there was nothing to be nervous about. He wasn't nervous about Potty and Weasel, not one bit, he could care less what they thought about his relationship with Hermione.

No, what he was nervous about involved the small box sitting in his pocket. He was going to ask Hermione Granger to marry him tonight. Draco Malfoy had never felt this way about anything before in his life. Even when he was ordered to kill Dumbledore in his sixth year at Hogwarts, he was never this worried.

He was afraid she would say no. He was afraid she would say yes. He was afraid her friends would kill him on the spot. He didn't know what he was afraid of. She loved him, right? He loved her, he knew that for sure.

Would she, Hermione Granger, war heroine and exceptional member of the wizarding community, want to marry him, Draco Malfoy, ex-Death Eater and over-all not-so-great person? He concluded that there was only one way to find out, and he would do it tonight. He didn't just spend 100,000 non-refundable galleons for nothing.


	10. Chapter 10

They arrived at the restaurant early, taking their seats before the others arrived. Draco ordered a glass of firewhiskey and Hermione ordered Elderflower wine. She didn't usually drink, but she was on her second glass when the rest of the party arrived.

Harry was suspiciously quiet and seemingly unfazed by Draco's presence at the table, while Ron was red-faced but quiet immediately upon their arrival. Ginny worked diligently to diffuse any situation that may arise, as she already knew of the forbidden relationship that was taking place between Hermione and Draco.

Saying the dinner was awkward or tense would be an understatement, as the thickness in the air grew with every angry glance Ron sent in Draco's direction. It wasn't 10 minutes after they finished their meals that Hermione spoke, hoping to either diffuse or blow up the situation enough to get rid of the uncomfortable silence that was left when Ginny realized nobody was really paying her any attention.

"Ron, Harry…" They both looked at her, Harry's eyes wide as if he was shocked by words she hadn't yet spoken, "We brought you here today to inform you that we're together… Dating. Draco and I are in a relationship. I love him. If there's anything you'd like to say about that, now's your chance."

Draco lifted his glass to his lips, "that was rather forward."

Hermione looked at him and shrugged just as Ron spoke up.

"Are you out of your damn mind?" His fists were clenched into balls on the table and he was staring daggers at Hermione.

Draco's voiced lowered to a threatening growl, "Watch your tone, Weasley."

Harry immediately moved his hand to Ron's shoulder, stopping him from standing and making a scene.

Ron's gaze went from Hermione to the blonde next to her, "Did you curse her, you freak? Is that the only way you can get a woman?"

Draco snorted and Ginny looked angrily at her brother, "Ronald, you should have more respect for Hermione than that."

Ron looked to Ginny, "You knew about this, didn't you?"

Suddenly, Ginny's eyes widened and everyone was turned to her. Hermione sipped her wine and looked away from the table, pretending to admire a painting on the wall.

Ginny nodded, "Yes, I did. Hermione tells me things because I'm a real friend. I don't blow up and accuse her of losing her mind or getting herself cursed because of who she decides she loves. She's been with him for a while now, just so you know, and from what I've heard and seen he treats her like a queen. Much better than the way you treat Rachel."

Ron opened his mouth to protest but Harry stopped him, "Look, Hermione is an adult and we just talked about how she's seemed much happier recently," he looked to Hermione, "that's all we've ever wanted for you, is to see you happy. I don't care who it is that makes you smile, so long as you're doing it."

Draco nodded at Harry and Ginny, then turned to look at Ron, "I do take very good care of your friend, Weasley, believe it or not."

Ron's fists unclenched slightly, and then red on his face deepened with embarrassment rather than anger, "If you hurt her I swear to-"

Draco interrupted, "I would welcome it. I would never dream of hurting Hermione," he moved from his chair and held Hermione's hand in his own, kneeling down on one knee and pulling the ring box that now seemed to weigh a ton from his pocket, "In fact," Hermione's eyes widened with realization, "Hermione, I love you more than I ever thought possible. I know I've treated you poorly in the past and I don't deserve one ounce of the love you have shown me," Draco smiled to cover the tears welling in his eyes at the sight of Hermione crying silently, "but, I can't live without you now that you've shown me what true love really is. Would you do me the honor of becoming my wife?"

Hermione nodded silently and allowed Draco to slip the large ring onto her left hand. It fit her perfectly and she was so overwhelmed by its beauty that she had to force her eyes away from it to look at him.

He stood and kissed her softly, "I promise to spend the rest of my life trying to show you just how much you mean to me. I will cherish you forever, and always treat you like the queen you are. I will forever work to make up to you the things that I have done in the past."

Hermione stood and hugged him tightly, "I love you, Draco."

The restaurant was roaring with applause and the flash of cameras was coming from every angle. Ginny was crying and Harry was smiling. Ron was looking a bit disgusted but slightly happy for his friend.

Draco whispered in Hermione's ear, "I love you more, Hermione."

She smiled and the wait staff shooed off the onlookers and picture takers, leaving them alone with Harry, Ron, and Ginny for a while longer before they all decided to head home. Before they departed, Harry shook Draco's hand, Ginny hugged him the best she could despite her large pregnant belly, and Ron apologized to Hermione. He shook Draco's hand quickly and then proceeded to wipe his hand on his pants as if he was mortified by having to touch Draco, but it all made Hermione happy and for that, Draco was thankful.

Their next stop was St. Mungo's, where Hermione's elated state was quickly suppressed by fear the closer they walked to Narcissa's room. Though she had received the slightest bit of acceptance from her future mother-in-law, she wasn't convinced in the least that Narcissa was going to be proud to have her as an undeniable part of the family.

Draco held her waist tightly, trying to reassure her without words, as he was nervous himself. He also kept his grip tight because he was afraid if he let her go she would run as quickly as she could in the opposite direction.

When they reached Narcissa's room, Draco hugged Hermione tightly and told her it would be alright. He opened the door for her and they stepped in. Narcissa was out of bed and moving around the small room, admiring flowers and other small trinkets she had been receiving regularly during her stay.

She was surprised to see them, but happy, "Draco, Hermione! I didn't expect to see you today."

Draco smiled at his mother, "Well, mother," he looked to Hermione, who was whiter than a sheet, "we have a bit of a surprise for you."

Narcissa moved towards the couple, "I hope you haven't come with bad news?"

Draco smiled and lifted Hermione's left hand in his, showing the ring to his mother, "Not at all."

Narcissa gasped and covered her mouth. She was silent for a moment and then tears swelled in her eyes and she hugged Hermione in a way she had reserved solely for her husband and son until now. Hermione's eyes were wide, but she returned the hug and was grateful she was surprised with affection rather than a curse.

Narcissa stepped back, but kept her eyes on Hermione, "Oh congratulations my dear, welcome to the family!"

Hermione finally found her voice, "Thank you, I'm elated."

Narcissa nodded and then turned to Draco, she hugged him quickly and then gave him a stern motherly look, "You have made a wonderful choice, dear. I cannot wait to properly welcome Hermione to our family."

Draco was ecstatic, expecting the cold shoulder from his mother instead of this warm welcome and genuine approval of his engagement to Hermione. They stayed for a while and talked with Narcissa about her treatment, which was going well, and Narcissa beamed over Hermione's ring about a dozen times.

When visiting hours were over, they went back to the manor and Draco summoned Peeky so Hermione could tell her the good news and show off her ring. The elf was so excited she banged her head against the wall a few times to calm herself despite Hermione's protests.

When Peeky finally stopped talking about how beautiful the wedding would be and left, Draco and Hermione were finally alone to be excited about their new engagement together. Draco held her hand in his and admired the ring for a while, noting the intricate layout of the design and the clarity of the stones for the first time. The jewelry shop was rushed and his head was clouded with anxiety, but now he could see the ring on his future bride's finger clearly and he noted the beauty of it but reminded himself it was nothing compared to Hermione.

He looked up at her smiling face, she was watching him with love in her eyes he had never seen from anyone but his mother. Even the love his mother had shown him wasn't as evident or passionate as what was shining in the mocha-colored eyes Hermione was watching him with. He smiled and kissed her sweetly, taking time to savor the way her lips felt and tasted. He was still in disbelief that he would have this woman forever.

When they made love that night, it was tender and full of emotion Draco had been afraid to show before now. Hermione could feel his tension subside as their bodies met and became one, over and over again. They were happy and in love, and Draco was no longer afraid. Everything was working for them and all the pain, darkness, and sad times in Draco's life dissipated in Hermione's small, delicate hands.

When they were worn out, sated, and overtaken with their love for one another they laid silently together in Draco's bed and welcomed sleep that came to them both relatively quickly. The last thing Hermione heard before drifting off was Draco's sleepy voice telling her 'I love you, forever.'


	11. Chapter 11

They woke the next morning to gifts crowding the downstairs living area of the manor. Hermione was taken back by the amount of things that arrived in such a short time. She dug through the boxes and letters slowly, reading the name of each sender carefully. She was expecting some of the packages to explode upon her touching them, but every one of the hundreds of gifts were happy and congratulatory.

Draco watched her carefully, admiring the way she seemed to be amazed by every small gift she opened.

"Who are all these people?" She finally asked.

Draco laughed, "I'm not entirely sure. Family friends, long lost relatives, people none of us have ever met. Your guess is as good as mine."

Hermione stopped rummaging through the gifts and allowed Peeky and a few other elves to begin putting things away, "What will it be like after the wedding if this is how it is for an engagement? Or after a child? Merlin…"

Draco snorted and sat on the floor beside her, "If you hadn't noticed, my love, everything is a bit extravagant around here."

Hermione smiled at him, "I'm more of a simple woman. I like sentimental things. I don't even know these people."

Draco kissed her forehead, "Don't worry, you won't ever have to meet them. I'll make sure there's not another huge fuss."

Hermione kissed him softly, "I want a small wedding."

"I figured as much," he stroked her hair behind her ear, "and a simple home, yes?"

She nodded.

"Then I think we should start looking."

Hermione smiled at him, "No elves."

Draco nodded, "Peeky might not like that."

"She's welcome to visit, but it will be as a guest, not a servant."

Draco took her hand in his and kissed her fingers gently, "Your wish is my command, darling."

They rummaged through the remaining packages together, only recognizing a few names of the senders. When they were finished, they visited Narcissa who was already over her head with wedding plans. Hermione was able to talk her into a small, simple gathering and they came up with a few things in the couple of hours they spent together.

Draco enjoyed the sight of his mother and Hermione getting along so well, and he was happy to see them compromising on something as important to women as weddings. He knew his mother would've preferred to have every pureblooded witch and wizard in London attend the event, but she sacrificed that for Hermione's sake.

Draco and Hermione visited small shops in London daily, looking for things to polish off the new home they purchased just weeks after their engagement. It was bigger than Hermione would've liked, but much smaller than Draco's preference with 4 bedrooms, 5 baths, and 2 stories.

Draco was bitter about the size of his home, so Hermione allowed him full reign of the décor. The furniture was nothing less than the best, all genuine wood and leather imported from the most prestigious places across the globe. He didn't hesitate to spoil her with his taste, and she was growing accustomed to it despite her deep rooted humble upbringing.

She returned to work happily, not having to do much explaining as The Daily Prophet had basically plastered her and Draco's engagement across the entire country. Her work load was cut significantly and Kingsley was more than happy to give her more time to spend with her new family.

Narcissa was released from St. Mungo's not too long after the engagement, and she spent most of her time with the couple preparing for the wedding. They were married 6 months after becoming engaged, at a small but elegant ceremony that took place at the Malfoy Manor.

Hermione insisted on a simple dress with minimum embellishments, and that is what she wore. She wore ruby earrings and an emerald necklace to match her ring. She felt beautiful and simple in her wedding attire and Draco's eyes swelled with tears when he saw her walk down the aisle towards him.

They were happily married for 2 years when Hermione announced her first pregnancy. The couple and their friends were elated and even happier to announce the arrival of their first son, Scorpius, to the world.

When Scorpius was 11, he was elated to go to Hogwarts and Hermione shared Draco's pride when she learned he was sorted into Slytherin. She was even happier to learn that he had immediately hit it off with Harry and Ginny's second born, James Severus, who was a Gryffindor.

The night after the sorting, when Draco and Hermione were lying in bed together, Draco turned to his wife of 13 years and admired her beauty as if he was doing it for the first time.

"You're absolutely stunning, my love." He whispered to her as he cradled her cheek gently in his palm.

She smiled to him and kissed him softly, "I want another one."

He smirked at her and she needn't say more. She announced her second pregnancy 2 months later.


End file.
